Panel probing Perry's `working retreat' in Bahamas

Panel probing Perry's `working retreat' trip to Bahamas

AUSTIN -- Gov. Rick Perry's weekend trip to the Bahamas with select advisers and contributors -- which provoked political controversy -- also is being investigated for possible violations of state ethics laws, the governor's office confirmed Thursday.

The Texas Ethics Commission is trying to determine if Perry illegally used political donations to pay for trip expenses for himself; his wife, Anita; and three staffers. It is illegal for an officeholder to convert political contributions to personal use.

Perry spokeswoman Kathy Walt said the expenditures were proper because the governor, staffers and guests used the trip over the Presidents Day weekend in February to discuss educational issues in preparation for the special legislative session.

"There was substantial discussion daily on this trip on both policy issues and political strategy for the future," Walt said.

The ethics commission is prohibited by law from acknowledging whether a complaint has been filed against a public official. But a complainant or an officeholder against whom a complaint is lodged may discuss it.

The complaint against Perry, alleging possible conversion of campaign funds to personal use, was filed Feb. 26 by Judicial Watch, a government watchdog group, but it came to light only this week.

An ethics commission lawyer sent a letter to Perry on March 9, giving the governor 25 days to respond in writing.

Perry said he has responded and predicted the commission will find no wrongdoing.

"I think once the ethics commission looks into the facts they'll find that it was an appropriate trip," he said.

If the commission were to find a violation, the penalty would be an administrative fine.

Walt declined to say how much Perry spent on the trip from his political account but said it will be publicly noted when his next report of campaign fund activity is filed with the ethics commission in July.

In the complaint, Russell J. Verney of Dallas, Judicial Watch's southwestern regional director, said one Perry spokesman had called the trip to the Bahamas a "working retreat."

"A working retreat for the governor of Texas would occur within the state of Texas or possibly within the continental U.S., providing there was a justifiable `political campaign' reason for the trip," Verney said.

"Gov. Perry's long weekend trip outside the U.S., with campaign contributors and state employees, amounts to a personal tropical island vacation, unrelated to any legitimate campaign event," he added.

Judicial Watch also has requested a federal investigation of U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay's Texans for a Republican Majority for possible money laundering in the 2002 Texas House elections.